Any holiday area must offer a fair number of activities that can keep the tourists busy. Koh Samui is a very popular tourist destination. Popularly called Samui, it is visited by more than 100,000 visitors annually. Besides its heavy Thai culture and pretty landscapes it also has lovely beaches. Out of numerous beaches Chaweng, Lamai and Bo Phut are the most famous. Koh Samui due to its loveliness and adventure choices is one of the most thrilling and fun filled holiday spot.
Koh Samui has something for everything. It has hotels, restaurants, attractions et. al making it a complete tourist destination. But one of the most thrilling activities available in Samui is adventure sports. Exciting adventures like rafting, surfing, river hopping, shooting, bungee jumping etc are available in numerous spots. The most famous beach; Chaweng beach is full of numerous such adventures. Those looking for adventure can try their hand at bungee jumping from around 50 mts high. The area for Bungee jumping is situated close to Raggae pub. You can also do shooting there due to availability of trained guides and ammunitions. The beach also offers European standard horses that may be used for horse riding. But if you are interested in acquainting yourself with the culture and lifestyle of Thai people, learn cooking. Boi Colibri is a Thai cooking school that trains you to prepare original cuisines like green curry. On the other hand, Lamai beach provides many health spas and cleansing remedies. Resort Spa Samui is one of the most popular resorts situated on the Lamai beach that provides genuine Thai massages and aroma and essential oil cures. Besides this Gau Ryu Kararte is one of the most performed karate form and can be studied at karate school situated at the rear of the Lamai hills. This school offers personalized and self help sessions. For escapades like Karting, canopy adventure, Bo Phut beach is ideal. Also there are numerous monkey shows on the beach that rouse the tourist interest.
Whether you are looking for wind surfing, rock climbing, rafting, jungle safaris, you are sure to find it at Koh Samui. So if you want a thrilling, fun-filled holiday, choose Koh Samui as your destination.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Health Oasis Resort, Koh Samui, A Better Place to Be
Koh Samui lies some fifty miles out in the Gulf of Thailand from the coastal town of Surat Thani. It’s on the small Thai island of Koh Samui that you will find “The Health Oasis Resort”. It is tucked away on the quiet north east coast, opening onto the idyllic Bang Po beach which affords a stunning view across to the neighbouring island of Koh Pha Ngan lying 20 kilometres to the north. The ‘Health Oasis’ comprises 36 bungalows, plus a two and three bedroom house. Some clustered around the swimming pool and none more than fifty metres from the sea. All rooms have fans and many have air conditioning. The proximity to the sea, however, ensures that the property enjoys cooling sea breezes the year round. The garden boasts frangipani and tall coconut palms, which gives it an authentic tropical paradise feel.
‘The Health Oasis’ came about as a result of a dream on the part of owner Manta Darnswat. This was to create an “informal and friendly environment free of stress for those who wanted to connect better with themselves and to grow healthier using the therapies and treatments promoted by Health Oasis.” The reverie became an actuality in December 1997 and “The Resort” will this year celebrate its tenth anniversary.
The place has a village feel. Although not luxurious it is comfortable and affordable prices and effectiveness of treatment make up any lack in the ‘opulence’ department. The residents forgather in the beachside vegetarian restaurant, where the Italian ‘chef-patron’ provides delicious vegetarian meals. The ‘Resort’ is small and everybody soon gets to know everybody else whether it is in the restaurant, beside the pool or on the adjacent beach and yet large enough to get lost in some of the nooks and crannies such as the library.
It offers many treatments as well as classes and trainings. The emphasis lies, however on de-tox. These ‘treatments and trainings’, include Thai massage and cookery, yoga, meditation, Reiki, EFT and Meridian Energy Techniques, hypnotherapy, nutrition ,diet and activities especially for children. Ss far as Koh Samui goes the ‘Health Oasis Resort’ is recognised as a traditional medicine hospital by the Thai Department of Health’. ‘De-tox’ and the popular candida cure are carried out by supervised colonic cleansing, weight loss and fasting. This programme under the direction of Australian naturopath Graham Rowe, undoes the damage of a stressed life style further exacerbated by poor eating habits and other toxins such as alcohol and smoking.
On arrival the guests are given a personal introduction to the ‘Resort’ and the facilities available as well as a thorough briefing on the details of the ‘de-tox programme’ they have embarked upon. There is a nine day, eight night programme and a shorter 4-day and three night version. There is menu of special herbs; supplements and juices as well as a daily yoga session in the attractive wooden ‘sala’ located feet away from the beach. Later in the day guests return to the same venue for a Thai massage that helps shed toxins and eases the strain of tired muscles. Later in the day the steam room opens and 'fasters' embrace another opportunity to rid themselves of even more poisons that have been allowed to build up as a result of lifestyle choices. The colonics take place in the privacy of your own room. Although they sound uncomfortable most visitors quickly accustom themselves to the effective procedure. Weight usually rolls away, the skin begins to glow with renewed good health and quickly a new energy catches up with the guest. I think it can be truly said that most residents are literally transformed after a few days.
The Resort boasts a team of professional therapists from around the world. The Manager, Graham advises on the programme as well as diet and nutrition. There is emotional back-up for those who want to shed emotional baggage or encounter difficulties during their fast on Koh Samui. All this and the setting itself make treatment at Healing Oasis much easier to undertake.
Of course you can simply visit the ‘Resort’ and forego all treatments if that is your wish. The accommodation beside the sea makes ‘Health Oasis’ a very nice place to stay in order to enjoy the beach, the swimming pool and Koh Samui itself. Vegetarians, too, are not always well catered for in traditional holiday venues. But here is a location where that is simply not the case. Whatever your choice ‘Health Oasis Resort’ on the fabled island of Koh Samui is somewhere to visit, be charmed by and return like so many guests year after year. [http://www.healthoasisresort.org]
‘The Health Oasis’ came about as a result of a dream on the part of owner Manta Darnswat. This was to create an “informal and friendly environment free of stress for those who wanted to connect better with themselves and to grow healthier using the therapies and treatments promoted by Health Oasis.” The reverie became an actuality in December 1997 and “The Resort” will this year celebrate its tenth anniversary.
The place has a village feel. Although not luxurious it is comfortable and affordable prices and effectiveness of treatment make up any lack in the ‘opulence’ department. The residents forgather in the beachside vegetarian restaurant, where the Italian ‘chef-patron’ provides delicious vegetarian meals. The ‘Resort’ is small and everybody soon gets to know everybody else whether it is in the restaurant, beside the pool or on the adjacent beach and yet large enough to get lost in some of the nooks and crannies such as the library.
It offers many treatments as well as classes and trainings. The emphasis lies, however on de-tox. These ‘treatments and trainings’, include Thai massage and cookery, yoga, meditation, Reiki, EFT and Meridian Energy Techniques, hypnotherapy, nutrition ,diet and activities especially for children. Ss far as Koh Samui goes the ‘Health Oasis Resort’ is recognised as a traditional medicine hospital by the Thai Department of Health’. ‘De-tox’ and the popular candida cure are carried out by supervised colonic cleansing, weight loss and fasting. This programme under the direction of Australian naturopath Graham Rowe, undoes the damage of a stressed life style further exacerbated by poor eating habits and other toxins such as alcohol and smoking.
On arrival the guests are given a personal introduction to the ‘Resort’ and the facilities available as well as a thorough briefing on the details of the ‘de-tox programme’ they have embarked upon. There is a nine day, eight night programme and a shorter 4-day and three night version. There is menu of special herbs; supplements and juices as well as a daily yoga session in the attractive wooden ‘sala’ located feet away from the beach. Later in the day guests return to the same venue for a Thai massage that helps shed toxins and eases the strain of tired muscles. Later in the day the steam room opens and 'fasters' embrace another opportunity to rid themselves of even more poisons that have been allowed to build up as a result of lifestyle choices. The colonics take place in the privacy of your own room. Although they sound uncomfortable most visitors quickly accustom themselves to the effective procedure. Weight usually rolls away, the skin begins to glow with renewed good health and quickly a new energy catches up with the guest. I think it can be truly said that most residents are literally transformed after a few days.
The Resort boasts a team of professional therapists from around the world. The Manager, Graham advises on the programme as well as diet and nutrition. There is emotional back-up for those who want to shed emotional baggage or encounter difficulties during their fast on Koh Samui. All this and the setting itself make treatment at Healing Oasis much easier to undertake.
Of course you can simply visit the ‘Resort’ and forego all treatments if that is your wish. The accommodation beside the sea makes ‘Health Oasis’ a very nice place to stay in order to enjoy the beach, the swimming pool and Koh Samui itself. Vegetarians, too, are not always well catered for in traditional holiday venues. But here is a location where that is simply not the case. Whatever your choice ‘Health Oasis Resort’ on the fabled island of Koh Samui is somewhere to visit, be charmed by and return like so many guests year after year. [http://www.healthoasisresort.org]
Saturday, July 24, 2010
When to go to thailand
The best time to visit most of Thailand is between November and February, because it rains the least and it is not too hot. This period is also Thailand’s main season for festivals, like Loi Krathong and Songkran.
lf you plan to focus on the northern provinces, the hot season (March to May) and early rainy season (lune to Iuly) are not bad either, as temperatures are moderate at higher elevations. Northeastern and central Thailand, on the other hand, are best avoided from March to May, when temperatures may climb over 40°C. Because temperatures are more even year-round in the south (because it’s closer to the equator), the beaches and islands of southern Thailand are a good choice for respite when the rest of Thailand is miserably hot.
Thailand’s peak tourist season runs from November to late March, with secondary peaks in luly and August. lf you want to avoid crowds and take advantage of discounted room rates, consider travelling during the least crowded months (typically April to lune, September and October).
Although the rainy season (roughly Iuly to October) gets a bad reputation, there are some bonuses: temperatures tend to be cooler, tourists are fewer and the landscape is lush and green. Depending on the region and the month, the rains might be hourong downpours in the afternoon. October,however, tends to be the wettest month.
lf you plan to focus on the northern provinces, the hot season (March to May) and early rainy season (lune to Iuly) are not bad either, as temperatures are moderate at higher elevations. Northeastern and central Thailand, on the other hand, are best avoided from March to May, when temperatures may climb over 40°C. Because temperatures are more even year-round in the south (because it’s closer to the equator), the beaches and islands of southern Thailand are a good choice for respite when the rest of Thailand is miserably hot.
Thailand’s peak tourist season runs from November to late March, with secondary peaks in luly and August. lf you want to avoid crowds and take advantage of discounted room rates, consider travelling during the least crowded months (typically April to lune, September and October).
Although the rainy season (roughly Iuly to October) gets a bad reputation, there are some bonuses: temperatures tend to be cooler, tourists are fewer and the landscape is lush and green. Depending on the region and the month, the rains might be hourong downpours in the afternoon. October,however, tends to be the wettest month.
Ang Thong Marine National Park Highlight
As an Australian travelling ,I had been a bit underwheimed by much-hyped beaches. But Aug Thong Marine National Park is as close to tropical paradise as I've ever seen - soft white sand. turqoise water,lush palm trees and all totally unspoilt. Not ever getting seasick and being dramatically ill on a pristine stretch of beach could ruin it for me.
Bangkok Highlight
There is weeken Market (jatujuk Market)he Market you'll find something that you do not know what you want or need. They come in all sizes and colors.
Tom Yam Highlight
My personal mission in Bangkok was to seek out the base Tom Yom This ivolved tireless research, which at one point meant three serves of the delightful concoction in one day! The winner? A tuk-tuk driver recommended ad family run eatery across from Hualamphong station.Kaffir lime,lemon grass,tamarind,mushrooms,spring onion,galangal,ginger and bok choy..yum!
Martine Power,Australia
Martine Power,Australia
Thailand Tourism
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At least until recently, tourism has been the third most important sector of Thailand's economy, after agriculture and exports. Among 'industries,' tourism is listed in first place. The country is without doubt one of the world's favorite tourist destinations, in part because of its magnificent natural beauty (of many varieties, not just the famous islands), in part because of the natural friendliness of its people, in further part because of the relative ease and safety of traveling in Thailand, which is easily done on both high and low traveler personal economies.
This situation is now in considerable flux, and concerns about the viability of Thailand's major tourist industry are growing. Currency fluctuations and new economic policies have put a significant dent in exports as a source of GDP, and increasingly severe and unpredictable weather - primarily floods and droughts - throughout the country are an increasing concern to its agriculturalists.
Those changes make the viability of Thailand's tourist industry all the more important. While the country has so far survived threats to the industry such as SARS, bird flu, and the 2004 tsunami relatively intact, tourism officials and operators are only too aware that a more large-scale bird flu epidemic or another tsunami (in a region where earthquakes in Indonesia such as the one that caused the one in 2004 are increasingly frequent) could have a devastating effect on the industry.
Additionally, the relocating of the country's main airport, an expansive new facility called Suvarnaphumi planned by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to make Bangkok the 'hub of Southeast Asian travel' has been a only slightly mitigated disaster for the country and the source of considerable national shame. Hurried construction, corrupt construction practices, and overall bad planning have yielded a facility many find far inferior to the 95-year-old 'old' airport in Don Muang, for which longtime Thailand visitors had developed an affection, and which worked with seasoned efficiency. The new airport is daily news nationally, with alternating reports about its safety (primarily of the runways) and inconvenience. It is much farther out of the city, making it much more difficult for tourists to get to their Bangkok destinations and to others on their travel itineraries.
There are great fears among observers of Thailand's tourist scene that it will take just one more major problem such as the ones described above to drive tourists to seek other travel destinations in Asia and elsewhere. The effects on Thailand's economy would be devastating if tourism were to drop even a small amount.
Budget Travel In Thailand: How to Travel in Thailand With Style and Without Bankruptcy
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Thailand was my first tourist destination outside Europe and North America. Based on the sage advice of my Thailand-experienced friends, I was sure that this paradise vacation would be carried out on ridiculous costs. However, back home, I have found out too late, that during my little Thailand adventure I have spent almost the same amount of money as one of my regular surges to Europe. If only I knew that carefully planning your trip to Thailand can manifest itself in huge savings. The following list includes some solid advice that can help those novice Thailand visitors to save significant amounts of cash and still enjoy their vacation:
1. Season choice. Traveling in Thailand Islands during the low season can save you up to 25% of the accommodation costs (up to 25$ per bungalow per night if you choose high standard - not luxury - accommodation). Similar to many other world locations that are based operate seasonally; there is a significant price fluctuation across seasons. Not less important is that fact that the weather in Thailand is quite pleasant even during the low season. The temperatures' difference between the "hot season" and the "peak season" is miniscule, and during the "wet season" one can experience only a mild occasional rain. Therefore, in Thailand one can lower accommodation costs by avoiding the peak season without paying the price of suffering from unbearable cold or coping with endless monsoon.
2. Transportation. Getting from Bangkok to your final destination in one of the Southern Islands by train or bus instead of by plane can save you up to 80$ each way. You can save a bundle if you arrive to Bangkok International Airport in the evening. In this case you save, besides the gap between relatively expensive airfare and train or bus ticket, the first night's accommodation cost as well (40$ - 100$ per bungalow per night in high standard - not luxury - accommodation).
3. Food. In Western style countries, the more you pay for your dinner the better it is, so everyone can make a personal decision about getting an appropriate cost - benefit balance. In Thailand, and especially in the Southern Islands it is much simpler: in most cases, the cheaper the better. Expensive restaurants in Thailand Islands usually specialize on Western food that is neither authentic nor of superior taste; a standard dinner will cost you 10$ - 30$ in a restaurant of this kind. Alternatively, the dinner in a cheap restaurant with plastic chairs will cost you 3$ - 8$ and it is usually both tasty and authentic. My most disappointing Thai dinner was served in a fancy restaurant in Bangkok and had cost 120$ for a couple, whereas my best dinner was served in a cheap family restaurant in Koh Phangan. The owner - young mom named Mam - prepared the meal for us exactly as we wished it would be and charged us with measly 5-6$ per person.
Thailand Internet is Unsatisfactory
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Internet in Thailand can only be described as unsatisfactory, at least from my experience. I have spent a lot of time in Thailand over the last couple of years and I have had some dreadful experiences using the internet. However, the experiences are my own and do not necessarily apply to the whole of Thailand but just the places that I have been.
The first internet problem I had was that my credit card details were taken probably in a Bangkok internet cafe with logging hardware that recorded all my keystrokes. I tried to pay my dental bill and the card did not work. It transpired that the details had been stolen and that goods had been billed to the card in London, England. But the credit card company said that the details were stolen in Thailand (the only place I had used it).
This theft of credit card details is not a comment on the quality of Thai internet but just some back ground information which may be of interest to the reader. Never enter your password or username for your bank details in an internet cafe in Thailand. The key logger technology can be either hardware or software, and is very easy to install or attach. It is very hard to discover as well.
I stayed in Nakhon Nayok for a period of a few weeks with my Thai girlfriend last year and something happened to a cable and the whole town was without any LAN internet for six - yes six! - days. Now in my country if that happened there would be a revolution but in Thailand it did not seem to be much of a worry to the locals. All four of the town's internet cafes were shut down for most of this period.
In Bangkok, there are constant and unending problems using the internet. For example, in my apartment there is internet provided. But it is often very slow, or not working. In fact, I have had tests run outside Thailand and one of the problems is that my Thai computer which I use in the apartment in Bangkok is cycling through IP (internet protocol) addresses; as many as 25 in a day. This IP problem means that I can not access certain sites that I need to go to.
A recent experience in a Koh Samet Resort left us with no wifi internet for two of the three days that we were there. Usernames, passwords, and nothing else worked until the day before we were due to leave. We had to pay two baht per minute outside the resort for access.
Another problem is the continual slowness of some websites to load. I often just have to give up and do something else. Sometimes I have to go to wifi cafes or LAN internet cafes but the problem of slowness continues in those as well.
I have heard it said that the internet is Thailand is watched closely by government agencies, and they certainly do block websites that are deemed by them to be immoral. I know this because they put a Thai Police re-direct statement on the objectionable home pages. However, I have no evidence of any other interference.
My point is that internet in Thailand, by my experience, is unreliable, and often slow. On a recent trip to Vietnam I had no problems with internet at all in the three or so weeks that I was there. Makes one think, doesn't it!
Thailand Travel
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The art, sculptures, and architecture is amazing in any region of Thailand. If you are planning to travel to Thailand you may be excited to see all the cultural and religious art that seems to be everywhere you turn. There are so many places to see artifacts it's unreal.
The Wat Phra Borommahathat Doi Suthep is one of those places you just have to see to believe. It was built in 1383 by King Gue-Na on a plateau. The view is out of this world and shows you Thailand's northern capital Chiang Mai. The temple contains a pagoda that holds part of the holy relics of the Lord Buddha. Buddhists from all over the globe flock here to pay worship to the holy temple.
The Monkeys Temple in Lopburi, called San Phra Kan, is a shrine lying with two sections. The older section dates back to the Khmer period while the new section is a building made in 1951. The new section has a four armed deity figure with a Buddha's head, which is a project of worship. Actual monkeys are on and in the temple, and are a favorite of tourists. The monkeys are tame and eat the food offerings left by the worshipers.
The Wat Chao Phraya Thai is just a few minutes outside of Ayutthaya, and another great sight to see. King U-Thong built it in 1357 for meditation. There is a massive pagoda, which was constructed in 1792 that can be seen very far away. Unfortunately the pagoda is in a ruinous state at the present, but it's still a great place to visit.
Phanom Rung Historical Park in Buriram is the place to go to see some interesting 12th century stone art. There is a great stone hall of the castle you should not miss. There are also many lintels and pediments depicting episodes from Indian texts such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.
Thailand has a lot to offer, especially when considering the areas massive collection of ancient and religious art. From architecture to sculptures, it is a sight to behold.
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